Monthly Archives: January 2017

Japan’s industrial gas supplier – Air Water is planning to invest 20 billion yen ($181 million) in a biomass power plant in Fukushima Prefecture. The plant, expected to be one of the biggest biomass power plants in Japan, will have a capacity to produce 75,000kW of electricity.

With a projected start date in 2020, the plant is at par with the biomass power plants built by Sumitomo Corp in Aichi Prefecture, eRex and Kyushu Electric Power subsidiary’s project in Fukuoka Prefecture.

Expected to be the largest domestic power generator, the plant will consume only biomass feedstock. The Osaka based company plans to procure feedstock such as coconut shells, etc., that are produced as waste by palm oil factories in Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as wood pellets from Southeast Asia, North America and other places.

Air Water plans to sell the electricity mainly to Tohoku Electric Power under the feed-in tariff system for renewable energy. Biomass power generators (that consumes coconut shells and imported materials) are allowed to sell 1 kw per hour of electricity for 24 yen for two decades.

The company is also considering selling power to newer retail electricity providers or use it in group operations.

Apart from this biomass power plant, Air Water also plans to build a co-fired plant using both biomass and coal in Yamaguchi Prefecture – in a joint venture with Chugoku Electric Power.

More on Japan’s biomass power projects at 8th Biomass Pellets Trade & Power on 15-18 May, 2017 in Tokyo.

For more information about the conference, contact Ms. Hafizah Adam at hafizah@cmtsp.com.sgor call (65) 6346 9218.

As the world steps up measures to mitigate the effects of climate change, the European Commission is proposing a new sustainability criteria for forest biomass.

The importance of a new system for forest biomass sustainability has been reiterated by several European forest owners and managers. The new criteria is part of the Clean Energy package.

Europe’s two major regulatory proposals, LULUCF and REDII, is up for consideration by the European Parliament and Council.

Already ample legislation and management systems are available to safeguard the sustainability of forest biomass – which is largely a domestic, decentralised energy source.

What’s notable is that Europe’s forests are not driven by the need for biomass for energy. In fact biomass feedstock used for producing bioenergy is a side product of higher-value timber. Therefore, any demand for bioenergy does not put Europe’s forests at risk. This is a key aspect that EU policy makers need to consider while enacting new sustainable criteria for solid biomass production.

The proposal must therefore avoid unacceptable burdens for the forest owner and be carefully analysed. Some of the stakeholders are of the opinion that carbon emissions can be reduced through the development of forests and their sustainable use. Europe is home to forests that are a source of natural, sustainable and renewable raw material that can be transformed into forest products and replace fossil fuels and highly energy-intensive materials.

The EU has already published proposals to increase the share of renewables to 27% by 2030. The Clean Energy package directs the promotion of use renewable energy resources, including minimum criteria to demonstrate the sustainable production and efficient use of biomass in transport, heat and power.

More on biomass energy regulations will be discussed at 2nd Biomass Trade & Power Europe on 13-14 February, 2017 in Copenhagen.

Bronzeoak, a renewable energy developer, is planning to build 3 biomass plants in Philippines. The company is already building its first biomass plant and expects it to be completed by the second quarter of 2017.

The company has secured $141-million funding from IFC for the three plants. The three plants will be located in San Carlos, South Negros and North Negros.

The company plans to concentrate on completing the San Carlos plant first and the construction at the other plants will be begin thereafter.

The San Carlos plant is undergoing reconfiguration of its boilers from the original capacity of 18 MW to 19.99 MW – which has delayed the project slightly.

The redesigning of the boiler will help to fuel the plant with not just pure sugar cane waste (which is expected to be the main feedstock) but also wood chips, coconut husks or even rice husks and napier grass.

Bronzeoak has signed an agreement with Wuxi Huaguang Electric Power Engineering to supply the boiler of the biomass projects.

Bronzeoak has also completed five solar power projects with a total capacity of 143 MW located in La Carlota City, the municipality of Manapla and San Carlos City.

More about biomass power projects in Asia at CMT’s 3rd Biomass & BioEnergy Asia on 27 February- 1 March, 2017 in Jakarta.

For more information about the event, contact Ms. Hafizah at hafizah@cmtsp.com.sg or call 65 6346 9218.